The Girl With No Reflection

by Keshe Chow

The Girl With No Reflection is a lush romantic fantasy debut - perfect for fans of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and Violet Made of Thorns.

A princess. A portal. A prophecy.

Ying Yue believed in love . . . once. Yet when she's chosen to wed the Crown Prince, Ying's dreams of a fairy tale marriage fall apart. Her husband-to-be is cold and indifferent, confining Ying to her room for reasons he won't explain. And whispers swirl: of seven other brides who mysteriously disappeared after their own weddings.

Left alone with only her reflection for company, Ying begins to see strange things in her mirror. And on the eve of her wedding, she unwittingly tears open a gateway and is pulled into another world. The realm is full of sentient reflections, including the enigmatic Mirror Prince. He is kind and compassionate, unlike his real-world counterpart, and before long Ying falls in love.

But soon she discovers that the two worlds have a blood-soaked history, and Ying has a part to play in both. And the brides who came before her? By the time they discovered their roles, it was already too late . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Mythology, Fiction, Retellings, Romantasy

496 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2024

About the author

Keshe is a Sunday Times bestselling author and veterinarian. She currently lives in Australia with three humans and one cat. She has won multiple awards for short fiction, as well as the 2022 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript.

Her latest book, Strange Familiars, is an academic rivals-to-lovers contemporary romantasy set in a magical veterinary school that treats witch familiars and mythical creatures. It is inspired by Keshe's own experiences at vet school.

Reviews

[sakurablossom95 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here lies another victim of having an amazing concept idea but poor execution.
What had me hooked was the fascinating concept of a mirror world and the lore about reflection beings. Unfortunately while the main lore of the mirror world was interesting to read, the rest of the main plot was poorly executed.
I found the female lead extremely frustrating. She constantly treads the line between being naïve and just plain dumb. Reading from her perspective was irritating as she made one questionable decision after another, always putting herself and her world in jeopardy. She dives headfirst into action without considering the consequences and never consults others. When things inevitably go wrong, she wallows in self-pity, whining about being useless instead of actually doing something to fix her mistakes. I struggled to root for her because of her constant sobbing and lack of proactive effort.
The male lead didn't fare any better. He felt like a cardboard cutout, serving the tired miscommunication trope. Both main characters were flat and one-dimensional, lacking the depth and character development. The romance aspect was particularly infuriating, with the female lead switching her affections between two love interests in an insta-love dynamic that felt forced and repetitive.

The mystery element started strong, keeping me intrigued for the first five chapters. But it quickly went downhill from there. The main villains were glaringly obvious from the start, yet the female lead remained oblivious, trusting every suspicious character she met. It was exasperating to read about her constant betrayals and subsequent shock, especially since she barely knew these characters before handing over her trust.
Most of the plot twists were predictable and lacked surprise, feeling more like convenient plot devices. The main character hardly had to work for anything, as solutions conveniently fell into her lap. That kind of took a lot of the enjoyment out of this book for me.

Thank you to Random House Children for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! I've found my favorite dreamy combination of Eastern mythology meets YA fantasy and epic enemies-to-lovers romance! I plan to use all my nerdy bookworm powers to put this unputdownable fantasy novel on your radar! The well-executed world-building, the perfectly described two alternate universes—one a powerful Eastern empire and the other through the mirror where imprisoned reflections of each person and mythological creatures are trapped—and the high chemistry between Princess Ying Yue and her reluctant, cold-hearted groom-to-be, Prince Zhang, are the highlights of this book. Combined with fairytale-style storytelling, they quickly pique your interest from the first page. The increasing tension, fastening and riveting pacing, and intriguing storytelling lure you into a combination of fairy tale, mythology, and Eastern folklore that turns into an addiction, making readers want to sing love songs from the rooftops to show their appreciation for this book (at least that's what I did, and I chose several Swift songs for it).

The story revolves around Princess Ying Yue, who has a great curiosity about paranormal things even though her family taught her otherwise, preferring reliable facts. When the famous matchmaker of the crown predicts she might be the best suitor for the crown prince, her dreamy expectations turn into a nightmare as she's been caged in a palace quarter for three months. On the wedding day, her husband's cold and impolite manners make her understand that she will be doomed to an unhappy marriage, chained to a life without loved ones, in the royal palace where her seven predecessors are rumored to have mysteriously vanished.

When she finds out her own reflection leads a life in the mirror, which opens up an alternate universe, and receives a request from her reflection to switch places, which may help her reflection gain enough power to survive until she returns to her life through the mirror, she accepts the offer quickly. That also means Princess Ying Yue can embrace her own freedom without being forced to marry a neglected cruel prince. As soon as she sets foot beyond reality through the mirror, she meets the Mirror Prince, who is kind, caring, and totally opposite of her cold husband. Even though they look exactly the same, her heart slowly gives in as their attraction reaches its peak. But when she realizes her reflection has a secret agenda and not only herself but the entire empire might be in dreadful danger, she must fulfill her prophecy, becoming the heroine the empire needs. However, she must navigate a dangerous game, choosing between the princes and deciding who she can truly trust and unleash her full potential to save the empire.

Overall, I devoured the entire book in one very long sitting until my eyes got red and dry, but it was truly worth it! This is definitely one of the best books of the year that you shouldn't miss, and it deserves even more than five stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Chloe Gong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect blend of royal court drama and spine-chilling horror. The Girl With No Reflection is uniquely enthralling, pushing the bounds of fantasy and exceeding with brilliance.

[Jackie ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why did this read like one those reddit stories that ends with "and then everyone clapped."

Rating: 2 ⭐️

You know, The Girl With No Reflection didn't start out too bad. It had some interesting horror elements and a cool idea. It was an easy read and I blew through it. That being said, I hated it.

Ying is just the worst character. She made all the worst decisions throughout the book. And her decisions caused so much mayhem. She lacked any critical thinking skills. And add this to the fact that bad things just kept happening to her over and over and over again so she was the eternal victim. Here she goes getting kidnapped. Oh, and here her maid is the one getting kidnapped. Oh no! She was betrayed again. Oh, there she goes getting poisoned.

And don't even get me started on the romance. One of the worst I've read in a long time. There was a quasi-love triangle between the Real Prince and the Mirror Prince. And of course she falls in and out of love all the time. No rhyme or reason. She falls in love with one person, but oops! Just kidding! Actually though, I am gonna kiss someone else now and be in love again. And actually we're meant to be and it was all written in the stars because we're perfect together even though that makes no sense. Of course. Insta-love at it's worst.

And tell me why she lost her virginity only hours after her brothers were hung at the gallows for HER crimes. Like, bitch, their bodies aren't even cold yet and we're gonna read about you getting jiggy with it? It was literally 5 pages ago. RIP her unnamed brothers. I'm sure Ying really cared about them, and we as the audience were supposed to care about them too. Luckily she has two others.

And the villains were so comically bad. Nuance does not exist in this world. Everyone has motivations that make no sense and characters' allegiances kept shifting. And not in a cool, deceptive way. In a whatever-serves-the-narrative-best-at-that-one-time way. It was infuriatingly annoying and even now I have so many questions.

The world made no sense. I gave up trying to figure it out like halfway through because the rules are dumb. And that ending was BAD. It was rushed and half-baked. It left so many plot holes. And tell me why it read like this:

"No, babe. You should be the Empress. You're so hot and cool and hot. You deserve it, pookie."
"No honey YOU should be the Emperor. You're just so sexy."
"No, wait I KNOW. Let's rule together!"
"Oh my GOD babe, you're so smart."

Kill me now.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-reading:
These bad reviews are making me nervous

[Darcey · Rating 2 out of 5]

arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

this book was... not for me. perhaps my expectations were too high, but this book was completely different to what i expected. i went into this book hearing that it was similar to "song of silver, flame like night" or "daughter of the moon goddess" - meaning i was expecting lyrical writing, c-drama vibe romance, and a slow-ish (but in a good way) narrative. instead, i was met with instant action and the craziest insta-love i've read in a long time, plus the single most infuriating heroine ever. the action wasn't a bad thing, but it made me feel like i'd missed a few chapters, and by the time i was a third through the book i literally felt like we'd summed up the plotline of an entire novel in like 200 pages. there was just so much going on!

and oh god the romance... *cue my eye twitches*. this girl was fully obsessed and "in love" with the reflection prince in what, 3 hours? they'd had maybe 1 actual convo. i wanted to slap the fmc and say girl.... what are you doing. she was just BEYOND naive. it was truly phenomenal, the lengths that she'd go to in order to draw crazy assumptions about the actual prince, but instantly become infatuated with the other prince. and honestly even the second romance wasn't that captivating for me - it seemed to leap forwards and then suddenly step back again, over and over, and both the protagonists were just so messy and so averse to actual communication. i didn't like anyone.

the heroine just kept on getting on my nerves - she made the most out of pocket decisions, she was rude and impractical - she irritated me beyond belief. and don't even get me started on how every time someone mentioned something, her memories reappeared... and changed every single time. girl i think it's clear at this stage that you don't remember shit. she was too easy to manipulate, it was actually embarrassing. i should actually stop talking about her, or i'll rant forever!!

anyway... the worldbuilding was very cool, and i did love the almost horror aspects at the start, with moving reflections and mirrors trying to pull people in. so that's a positive! thank you to the author, tbr and beyond tours, and netgalley for the arc copy.

[norah · Rating 2 out of 5]

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2 | 😘=4.25 | 🤬=4.25 | ⚔️=5 | 15/16+

summary: girl who is betrothed to this prince has an evil reflection in the mirror and gets captured in the mirror realm and then the prince’s mirror reflection is like falling in love with her and her mirror reflection is evil and trying to take over the world and then

thoughts: oh this was not… uh. okay. well. I have a handful of critiques of varying stakes, ranging from stupid to fundamental issues.

- every time they swore it totally took me out of the story. this is a historical-inspired fantasy?? aren’t these supposed to be pseudo-imperial China-era royal snobs?? in the highly anachronistic words of every teenager in this book: what the fuck?

- why is she making dick jokes in a YA novel? the contrast between incredibly juvenile prose and not-quite juvenile content is bizarre. like this is very sexy for a YA novel, but the prose isn’t mature enough to justify it. also I don’t like either of the boys she makes out with, so I wasn’t invested in any aspect of the relationships––physical or otherwise.

- there is not enough development in her relationships to warrant the amount of emotional turmoil caused. Ying will be weeping and screaming over these stupid princes but like… girl?? you don’t know him???? Ying has genuinely no reason to like either of them, and honestly I don’t have much reason to like Ying either. she just, like, makes stupid decisions and cries a lot—relatable, but not particularly compelling traits in a fantasy protagonist.

- don’t get the Fish thing. why is she the fish. she controls fish, but that’s not a fish-like characteristic. why is she called a fish. and also a phoenix I think?? and there’s also a dragon involved??? can we pick a singular animal for our Chosen One analogy please

- foreshadowing where?? there’s this “it all made sense now” moment near the end and sweetie no it doesn’t. it doesn’t make sense. I finished this novel less than 24 hours ago and I don’t remember enough of the plot to justify this point but like just trust me it doesn’t make sense.

- I don’t care about Ying, so I don’t have any personal stake in her family getting murdered. like it’s sad that they’re at the gallows because I have general empathy for humanity, but it should be sad because I feel bad for Ying and care about her, and I just don’t??

- there’s this one moment where they’re looking for an artifact (or something???? I truly lost the plot) and she’s like “oh no! I have to search 99 temples to find the right artifact thingy!!” and then they find it after looking at like two temples so what was the point. very silly.

- because of the whole “mirror realm” concept, 88% of the reveals feel like cheesy “I’m actually evil twin and you didn’t know it!!” plot twists, which is very funny but entirely unserious and tonally undesirable.

good things:

- the cover is very pretty!!

- I wasn’t, like, viscerally cringing, which is generally my rule for warranting a below-two star rating. so there’s that.

[rosie [exams - trying to keep up!] · Rating 5 out of 5]

(⭐️5)

oh. my. god.

1. Where did this book even come from?
I am so pleasantly surprised and amazed. There is no way this book is so criminally underrated. 😃

Oh my goodness gracious I’m in LOVE with this book. Head over heels, adoration at first sight— Keshe is absolutely blessed by the cover gods. 🥹🤞

I am BEYOND glad I was able to pick this up — and even more grateful I get to meet the author in a couple of days! 🙂‍↕️🤍

For a debut novel, this absolutely blew my mind. There’s no way this is Keshe Chow’s first one. I refuse to believe it. 😤💕

2. WHERE ARE THE CAMERAS?!
I swear to God this book is literally perfect for me. Who went digging in my brain and shoved this book into my arms?! I need to personally thank them.

Ancient East Asian mythology and fantasy? CHECK. ✅

DRAGONS? Check! ✅

A slight sprinkling of horror elements? CHEEEECK! ✅

A beautifully tragic romance that had me on the edge of my seat until the last page? CHECK CHECK CHECK! ✅

I swear on my SOUL I had no idea this would be so perfect.

3. New Auto-Buy Author? 😳
Keshe Chow, give me another book and my life is yours. (I say this as I’m currently requesting her next one on Netgalley 🙂‍↕️)

I’m so overwhelmed with love and joy for this book I can’t even imagine a universe where I didn’t pick it up! It would be downright silly of me to not continue to read anything Ms Chow writes!!!🤭

Her narrative had me fully invested and enveloped in this world of fantasy, magic, mystical creatures— basically everything I was looking for. I was gripped the whole way through, almost burying myself in the pages of this book!

Whether it was my jaw dropping in shock, my heart racing in excitement or my skin crawling with fear, this book brought it ALL; consistently!

I need this story injected into my veins on an inhuman level. 🤫

4. Zhang 😏
Believe me when I say I was giggling and kicking my feet anytime the MMC was even MENTIONED. I was down BADDDD.

(Blame my childhood crush on Li Shang from Mulan. 🫣)

He had so much emotional depth, I wanted to leap through a reflection MYSELF and enter his world whenever he was upset 😖💔 poor boy just needed a hug 😭🤞

5. Final Thoughts
So so so happy about this one. Oh my days. I’m still in surprise at how little known it is?! JUSTICE FOR THIS MASTERPIECE 🤲

[Samantha (ladybug.books)]

DNF 20%

This was a really rough start and I just couldn’t find anything to motivate me to continue. The writing, the characters, the lack of atmosphere, the insta love… not for me.

[saisha⊹(school ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2✧
⤷ i wanted to like this but it just wasn’t for me :(

── .✦“if i knew you then as i do now, i would have chosen you. a thousand times over. even though it's wrong.".”𓂃˖ ࣪⊹

⌗my thoughts🎀

i absolutely love asian lit and fantasy so i was so excited to start this!! however the writing was so messy to me and the plot too i feel like as well. the twists were very predictable and the romance didn’t feel right i guess? it felt very scattered, and i thought it was a bit cringe at times as well. there were some parts i enjoyed a bit tho and the whole concept of mirror worlds is very interesting to me but i don’t think this book captured it the right way☹️ im def open to trying more of her works tho!!

love,
saisha

- - - - -

well this was a bit disappointing :( rtc <3

ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝🪞 ꒰pre-read!꒱.˚ 𓂃₊ ⊹

my biggest weakness is a pretty cover and my greatest love is a fantasy novel with asian lit incorporated into it. this book covers all 3 and im so excited!! i read the description and it seems so good and also my queen chloe gong rated this 5 stars as well so i have high hopes!!😚💗💐 i’m working on catching up bc school is so draining so far but im working on trying to be more active now, hope u all are well!! xx

[manju]

yay i got an arc!! i have like 20+ books to get to pls send help 🙏

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5⭐)

ugghhhh im so sad because this was an anticipated read and it honestly started off well. like cool concept? check. interesting characters? check. the thriller aspect to this in the beginning especially!! like damn i was invested. but... i dont know when it began but i started losing interest FAST (maybe it was around the 30% or 40% mark?? idk). its not even that this book is bad, but i just got bored??

and then ying was very annoying in a lot of aspects i got tired of her and could care less about her fate or anything that happened throughout the book + the prince?? i really do not care about that guy. i saw a very very small potential at one point but that was quickly squashed and then eventually i just felt like the "romance" blossoming between them was SO forced?? like huh?? i dont buy the explanations we were given and the moment they began considering the other in a romantic view i just didnt see it, it felt like such a quick change. especially after the 58% mark with a *certain* reveal and im like wow did her feelings change fast?😂 it just felt out of place and so sudden considering the events that had just occurred but oh well! there was some build up i suppose afterwards but i still wasnt sold on their love for each other--or maybe they really were in love but i just didnt care🤷‍♀️they were just so boring and so unconvincing in their banter and the 'enemies to lovers' aspect i genuinely cringed so many times... it really was just not good at all. i have absolutely zero things to say that i liked about the romance.

anyways yeah i thought this would be really fun and honestly the potential it had with the unique concept got me really excited but personally it just fell flat for me. also not sure if it's only me but i genuinely could not take anything seriously after a certain point like it felt wayy too dramatic but i think that also ties in with me getting bored sooo💔

i was literally about to DNF 60% in and even prepared a review for it but then i just decided whatever il finish it since i was nearly done anyways, and frankly i just did a lot of skimming to get it over with. sad that i didnt end up liking this as i hoped🥲 oh well



Many thanks to Random House for providing an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Alwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining, escapist debut from Chinese Australian author Keshe Chow - who practices as a cat vet in her other life. Chow’s YA novel blends romantasy with elements of other genres including flashes of horror. Her story builds on Jose Luis Borges’s short piece “The Fauna of Mirrors” which tells of a China in which reality is linked to a mirror world peopled by sentient reflections. Chow’s reworking of Borges is set in an imagined version of an Imperial Chinese court, a sprawling compound where 18-year-old Ying Yue’s now confined, reluctantly awaiting an arranged marriage to the Shan Dynasty prince, heir to the Emperor’s throne. But wandering the grounds surrounding her quarters, Ying encounters something terrible and inexplicable, reflections in the waters and mirrors that appear to have lives of their own. Creatures that may be the source of the sinister rumours about the Palace compound, a place where seven previous princesses have already disappeared without a trace. As the time for her wedding approaches, Ying becomes aware that her world has a mysterious counterpart, one that offers the possibility of escape and a means to dodge her fate. But her choices set off an ancient prophecy of war between her people and the people of the mirror world, one in which it seems she has a pivotal part to play.

Inspired by writers like Chloe Gong and Joan He, Chow’s fast-flowing narrative incorporates storylines and imagery from Chinese mythology such as the famous tale of the moon goddess and the archer; and features mythic beasts from dragons to water ghosts. I found the romance aspects, which leans heavily on the enemies to lovers trope, less enticing than other aspects of the plot - but then again, I’m not a huge fan of romance novels. But I enjoyed other aspects, particularly Chow’s variation on a coming-of-age story centred on hapless-but-feisty Ying, who gradually learns to navigate the complexities of her position and the challenges presented by the mirror world – a place that reminded me a little of Star Trek: Discovery’s mirror universe. Although it could be a little clunky at times, it's also carefully crafted with numerous pleasing twists and turns, and features a suitably gripping and dramatic climax fuelled by the collision of the mirror universes.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Hodderscape for an ARC

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was supposed to finish this back in August, but personal stuff happened and somehow I never sat down to do so until now, so I must apologise to The Girl With No Reflection for not picking her back up sooner.

Overall I liked this book and found it really easy to read. I was a bit unsure at the start, because of some choices made by the main character, but then I decided to just go with the flow, and not judge it too much.

So, first the pros. Once I really picked this up, I found it hard to stop reading. I needed to know what would happen next, and I kept flipping the pages going "okay just one more chapter". It's a very bingable book.

The mythology included was probably my favourite part, I loved the Fish inclusion in particular, because usually authors pick "better" and bigger animals for their characters to be (or to have been once upon a time), but not our dear Ying, she's a fish. One with special powers, sure, but still.

I was actually left surprised at what she could do when her powers came in, that one scene with the Mirror Prince and Mirror Ying was SO GOOD.

Another aspect of the story I like, is all the mirrors. Mirrors are something I've always found creepy, and I do believe there is a world beyond them, which is something Chow embraces. Ying's reflection tricks her into switching places with her which sets off a chain of events that eventually lead to a war.

This proves my distrust of mirrors is very valid, thank you very much! I know I'd be so creeped out if I had to sleep in a room full of them like Ying had to, before the wedding.

The romance is something that I both liked and disliked. Disliked because it happened SO FAST, both times, that neither one was believable, and liked because they did have chemistry. Well, mostly Ying and the Mirror Prince, but still.

It was just a bit silly how she fell in love with one Prince in the blink of an eye, was wondering if he's actually the one she was meant to be with since he's her husband's mirror image and so much kinder to her, only for a switch to be flipped and for her to fall for the real version instead as if she never loved the other one in the first place. Which...yes, I guess she didn't.

The insta-love definitely bugged me, but it didn't affect my feelings towards the rest of the story.

I also wanted a bit more development from all the characters, but I don't think there was enough time for that, due to this being a standalone. I saw someone say this should've been a duology, and I agree, everything would've been more fleshed out then.

Another thing that bugged me, is that there's this scene that's meant to be traumatic for Ying, she's losing some family members and she's in pain, but she never refers to them by name.

And the way that scene was structured, I felt that the number of family members in it was chosen purposely, so that the important ones would never actually be in danger, and as a result that scene didn't have much of an impact on me.

Language wise, some of the things Ying said felt out of place, more like something someone from a contemporary YA would say than someone from a (somewhat) historical fantasy world. It didn't take me out of the story, but I sure noticed every time it happened.

Similarly, the characters often said words in Chinese, only to follow up with the same word in English, so it felt like reading the same words twice in a row, but I get what Chow was trying to do, translate as she goes, which I can appreciate.

Normally all my criticism would make this a three star read, but I'm choosing to rate this based on enjoyment so it's getting four. I'd gladly read something else by Keshe Chow in the future.

*Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was brilliant! On the eve of marrying the handsome crown prince, Ying is dragged through the mirror into a world of cold doppelgängers, romance, and thrilling twists and turns. Ying is a wonderful protagonist: witty, brave, and always ready to fight for what’s right. I loved this one!

[pearl · Rating 2 out of 5]

the girl with no reflection is a story that ultimately fails to live up to the expectations established by its premise. telling the story of ying yue, a princess who discovers a mirror world where nothing is as it seems, the book’s intriguing start and worldbuilding are quickly dragged down by its flat writing, clunky pacing, and irritating romance, creating one of the most frustrating reading experiences i’ve had all year.

that’s not to say that there’s nothing to like about this book. the mirror world is genuinely such an interesting and creative setting, and i loved that the first few chapters got right into the story without heaping piles of unnecessary exposition on my head. additionally, there was a twist toward the end which i thought was good. unfortunately, that’s basically where my “things i liked” list ends.

to start off with what i didn’t like, i thought the writing in this book was very bland. i don’t have much else to say about it, except that it didn’t make me feel what it clearly wanted me to feel. to be honest, it might have been fine if there weren’t so many other things i disliked that only emphasized how dull it was.

i also wasn’t a fan of the pacing. i’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but i usually like long standalone books. however, i really think that this book would have been better off as a duology. so many things happened in its 400+ pages that it just ended up feeling disorganized for me, with some scenes feeling rushed (and anticlimactic as a result) while others were dragged out for way too long.

however, my feelings toward the writing and pacing are nothing in comparison to my hatred toward the romance, which ended up being so strong it surprised even me. i cannot stress how sick i am of this specific style of bland enemies to lovers that has been popping up in fantasy for the last few years. both the initial forced tension and the (unconvincing) eventual spiels about how the two characters involved are so in love that they can’t live without each other actually make me want to throw myself into the pacific ocean. ying and the prince were boring at best and infuriatingly melodramatic at worst, and nearly everything about them had me either yawning or throwing mental tomatoes at my screen.

(also, while i’m on the topic of romance, there’s a romance-related “twist” toward the middle of this book that is so unbelievably obvious it’s laughable. i don’t think i could think of this review as finished without mentioning it at least once. all i’ll say is that if you’ve read a decent amount of mediocre ya fantasy, you’ll see it coming from about a million miles away.)

to say the least, i did not like this book, which is unfortunate because the concept of it had so much potential and the beginning was strong. of course, there are over a hundred five-star ratings at the time of me writing this review, so ymmv. however, i wouldn’t personally recommend this to anyone unless they happen to enjoy stories that stand out at the start and only decline from there.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc.

_

pre-review:

when you dislike the book so much the review is actually easy to write

rtc after i sleep off the headache finishing this gave me

[Helen ⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is such a hot mess and i’m trying so hard to be more critical about it then just straight up mean

- it relies on so many tropes and none of them were executed well, enemies to lover, lover to enemies (with another character), chosen one, fated prophecy, “strong” female character, one bed (ig it was short), probably more i’ve missed. it’s like they all got tossed in with the plot a stirred around a bit
- the amount of plot twists that had zero alluding to them had me almost crying like “of course *eye rolls*”
- the dialogue, its historical fantasy. i expect the characters to at least talk to one and another with the hierarchy from historic time period, also not throwing around the word fuck that many times. it’s just so modernize and completely takes me out.
- along with that, the chinese words. the integration is so poor. i don’t understand the choice the author makes choosing the chinese word over the english (and they cuss in chinese too a handful of times), if it’s integrated well i wouldn’t have an issue, but there’s multiple time where its “(chinese pingyin of word) (english word of the same meaning)” right next to each other. if you’re gonna use chinese term in the book, the reader should be able to infer the meaning by context after the word. because as someone who knows chinese, in my brain i just read the character saying the same word twice.

i’m not gonna even going to speak on the actual plot and characters cuz i will probably end up tearing it to pieces.

[Emma (howlsmovinglibrary) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dire. Absolutely dire. I don't think i've been this angry with a book based on quality alone, in a while :')))) usually it's content that makes me mad, but, i ask you, what content?

other negative reviews have talked about this book in regards to the tropes that annoy them (love triangles, instalove) or the quality of the heroine, (her indecisiveness, her irritating personality, etc). but honestly.... is that not giving this book too much credit??? to pretend there's anything concrete to dislike in the first place?? to pretend the heroine has a personality???

The Girl With No Reflection was just so inconsistent. didn't like the main character? That's ok, in two chapters she'll be a different person, with a different set of powers as the plot demands. ship her with one of her two love interests more than the other? that's ok, in two chapters she'll have flipped from one to the other and back again. Like a character? don't worry, in two chapters they'll be evil now. why? unclear. think that the plot is going too well? don't worry, in two chapters the characters will fight for no reason, have an argument or make a hasty decision, some beasts will be added into the mix and a new obstacle invented.

...feel like the ending doesn't really do the premise justice? wonder if it's a bit weird for a book that sets up a conflict between two sets of people - one of whom have been punished and oppressed for centuries for the crime of one individual - and argues that there are 'no true monsters' then decides that attacking all of said oppressed people and imprisoning them again at the end is totally fine and good actually???? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. who wants complexity or consistency in a novel's narrative! (It actually made me want to tear my hair out.)

And while this was annoying, there was also... the handholding. every single thing that happened in this novel (and I'm not kidding) happened as follows:

- the narrator hints to something
- the protagonist hints to the same thing, in dialogue
- another character confirms that the protagonist is right to think this thing, and is so smart for thinking the thing or fearing the thing
- thing happens

I don't know WHAT this phenomenon was but it made me so MAD!!! (can you tell from this review lol). I felt like this book was a marvel movie. It didn't trust me to read a story. It didn't trust me to follow the plot (maybe it didn't trust itself, to write a plot, equally viable as a theory). It just kept... telling me things. and then confirming those things, in three lines of dialogue. and then that thing took place.

it was boring, and repetitive, and meant that nothing that could've been a plot twist landed as one. Oh, the empress has been described for a page now? she's probably evil. why do i think that? bc this book doesn't trust me to read it, so i have to have everything spoonfed to me. therefore, there's a reason the empress has been described for a page.

boring, dull, and badly written. why am i here?

[Zana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

Honestly, if you don't think too much about this novel's flaws (off-putting modern tone, deus ex machina solutions to everything, stereotypical Chosen One plotline), then it was a fun portal fantasy with splashes of darkness here and there. It was a quick read that didn't take up too much of my time and I wasn't mortally offended by it or anything.

I'm a sucker for portal fantasies and evil or alternate versions of the characters. (Speaking as a Marvel fan here. These tropes are typical in Marvel comics/movies.) So I was pretty intrigued by the mirror universe. The mirror world, with its characters and creatures who required light to live, were interesting enough to keep my attention. The whole "are they evil?" question kept me on my toes.

I loved the mix of action and slower scenes. I think the author did well with the pacing. I didn't find myself being bored or anxious for the story to move along.

The FMC's desire for romance and being with her ~one true love~ was kinda cute. But it also seems kinda toxic in this day and age. So, there's that, I guess.

If you want a quick and fun YA fantasy read, then I'd recommend this. It's not anything groundbreaking, the plot is pretty predictable and hits every YA fantasy story beat, and I'm not sure if this is all too memorable, but honestly, I've read a lot worse.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this arc.

[caffeinated_reads3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished this book earlier today and I cannot stress enough of how much this book was a hot mess. Correction, it was just a mess. This summary/review might be a reflection of that because I am not even sure where to begin. (1) This book relied heavily on tropes: lover to enemies, enemies to lovers, the chosen one, fated lovers, "main character energy" that is beyond cringe and overly played that we get it. (2) The writing was just not up to par. I've read many YA books and this does not come close to it. (3) The FMC was problematic alone. She was immature, fell in love way too easily, and was way too naive. Add in the whole, "I'm a tough female character, I love swords and I was brought up to be tough because of my brothers/family" was a bit much, too. (4) There were way too many (sub) plot lines happening. Why couldn't we just stick with one major one and then maybe two other ones, versus MULTIPLE ones. It was as if the author felt like they needed to please too many readers versus finding their own niche and sticking with it.

One could argue that it has some good bones and relatively good main plot. This book deserved more time and attention to editing than it did. I hope that it did. Sadly, this is a one for me.

Thank you Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

[lost in epilogue | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was very intrigued from the start with the magic system, but i did struggle a bit with the romance. there were times were it clicked and then times were both mc's felt juvenile. there were also some contemporary colloquialisms which kind of broke the whole historical aspect of the setting at times.

there was quite a lot going on a points, most action is in the second half with the first half being slower-paced. funny enough, i think first half worked a bit better for my taste bc of the intrigue. i don't think i would call this horror rather than fantasy with a few horror elements. bc of the nature of the violence and war and some romance, i would rate this more towards upper YA.

overall, i think this is a solid debut book. there is room for improvement, but i would read another book by this author in the future.

an honest arc review ✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉‧ ♡*.✧

[Avery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for access to an ARC! This is my honest review.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one. The concept is very interesting, and I liked the protagonist, Ying, at first. It seemed like this had all the makings of a possible new favorite of mine. After that, it sadly went downhill.

Probably the most glaring issue in this is the modern dialogue which is entirely at odds with the setting. I can't fully settle myself in the kingdom of Jinghu Dao while simultaneously having the prince call people "man" casually in dialogue. It just really took me out of the story.

I also felt that the mirror world was the most compelling part of this novel, and unfortunately was also barely fleshed out beyond some dumped worldbuilding through dialogue. Even when it was being explored, I found it disappointing in comparison to how it feels it COULD have been with such a unique and captivating premise. When Ying first found herself in the mirror world, I was intrigued and was under the belief that this would be where she was spending most of the story. That was not the case, and I was quickly let down by that.

Although I said that the most glaring issue is the modern dialogue, the thing I probably disliked the most was how I was told and spoonfed how to feel the entire book. Instead of being able to feel betrayed as Ying did (I don't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read it and intends to, so I will try my best to be vague), I saw it coming a mile away because of how intense and heavy-handed the text was about it. I was TOLD that she was in love, despite barely having 3 conversations with this man. I was TOLD that he was thoughtful, TOLD that he was caring, and TOLD that he would put himself in pain for her sake. Again though, I am barely given any time to learn a thing about this character or come to my own conclusions about him. The plot twist could have been an impactful one, but I sincerely doubt there was a single reader who did not see it coming, and I doubt even more that there was a single reader truly attached to the character in question. I wish this was the only case of this happening in the story but it isn't. We are told the Prince is honorable, we are told his mother is cunning, but these things don't need to be spelled out for us if we are shown these things and come to that conclusion naturally on our own. You have to trust your readers enough not to handhold them the entire way through. It dims any care I could have had for these characters or any respect I could have gained for them because I am constantly told how I SHOULD feel.

The romance was, unfortunately, heavily rushed in my opinion. I do mean this for both romances in this story. For the first one, we are expected to believe that Ying fell in love with him within a mere day or two. It just simply doesn't make sense, especially given the very limited scope of conversation that they'd had in the first place. Then, with the second, not only was it rushed but it was also insufferable. Ying is constantly having these extreme mood swings between hating him and loving him, but this isn't even for any logical or understandable reason, it's just very odd and honestly forced. As if, perhaps, the author was trying to introduce conflict that was unnecessary or to make the relationship seem more developed and slow burn than it truly was.

That brings me to my next issue which is that Ying is an intolerable protagonist. She comes across as extremely naive, aggressively temperamental, and sometimes downright stupid. Not only did she base her entire perspective on someone she hardly knew for a large portion of the book, she also continuously made irrational and stupid decisions with no regard for other people. She then isn't forced to deal with the consequences of these actions and the plot moves on. I couldn't stand the plot point (minor spoiler) near the end where both she and her partner refuse to properly deal with the enemy because then they would be "monsters too." It's possible that this could have been a good plot point if it was given any time to develop or be properly fleshed out, but it just wasn't, and so it just feels extremely annoying.

Lastly, I feel like this book sped past things that should have been given more time to develop, like how the worldbuilding is just dialogue infodumps for example. Then, it would linger far too long on slow and sometimes irrelevant things that felt in opposition to the otherwise very fast pacing.

I really wanted to like this, and I genuinely think this author has the potential to make great stories in the future, but at this moment it wasn't working for me. The concept was great, as I said, and I felt the imagery was well done. This could probably be a fun read for some people, and if it sounds like something you'd like based on the description then I encourage you to try it and form your own opinion on it.

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEN I SAY I DEVOURED THIS BOOK Y'ALL

It was the perfect blend of spooky, dramatic, twisty, and romantic! Also, can I just say, the concept of this alternate dimension mirror world is SO cool? I didn't want to get my hopes up because it sounded so good, but it more than lived up to my expectations

[Stevie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely unenjoyable read that I have NUMEROUS issues with

I- the writing was awkward and childish. the dialogue was really relaxed and modern in a world that was supposed to be historial and with a formal court setting
2- the characters had zero depth and were just made up of tropes. The reader was told all about Ying’s training and her clever mind but never did anything remotely smart. Even when she saves the world she had no clue what she did but everyone praises her for being a genius
3- romance was way too on page for a YA novel, there were numerous intimate scenes and constant lustful longing. It felt extremely out of place and made me uncomfortable knowing this was targeted to a YA audience.
4- more on the romance, it was all instalust and theyre calling it love and it was so annoying. Ying thinks with her dick (speaking of there is an on page dick joke wtf). She has no real connection with either of the men in question. One of them actively is extremely cruel to her. But then we get an “explanation” and suddenly he’s nice to her and was actually being nice all along! What. Absolutely not. He’s an asshole.
5- the plot made zero sense. every ah ha! Moment did not have the intended effect because nothing connected or made any sense. New secrets were found in the magic system whenever it was convenient.

Lastly—
The sapphic rep with the two maids felt very forced and like it was trying to check a representation box.
This was a social rigid patriarichal society and theres no mention of how queerness is accepted. The girls were only concerned about their boss becuase servants arent supposed to fall in love. And then once theyre "public" theyre seen holding hands in the middle of court. it really felt like they were just thrown in there without any thought to how queer people would function in this society. And maybe it was totally queer normative and accepting! But that was never mentioned or lain out for the reader before this one sapphic couple for it to feel authentic.

Overall, miserable reading experience and I would actively recommend against reading this

[Rachel Holtzclaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

love a book that has instalove not once but twice!! also this weirdly did go by super quickly even though it was 450 pages?? not sure that's a good thing tbh.... this was all over the place, no character felt like a fully fleshed out person (not even ying, our main character!!), and even the mythology and the rules of the world seemed to just be changing to whatever the story needed from it in that moment.... idk kind of bummed that i didn't have a great time!

[Avery Liz Holland · Rating 0.5 out of 5]

Eh?

Questo libro è talmente brutto da essere imbarazzante. Ben pochi testi che mi sono passati per le mani sono capaci di riunire in modo così efficace tutti i peggiori difetti esistenti. C'è una generale mancanza di qualsiasi cosa: world building, trama sensata, caratterizzazione minima dei personaggi, storia d'amore decente. La cosa di cui si avverte più drammaticamente l'assenza sono i neuroni della protagonista. Dovrebbe essere una giovane aristocratica all'interno di un universo ispirato all'antica Cina, scelta per andare in sposa al futuro imperatore, ma parla, pensa e si comporta come una diciottenne del 2026. Ovviamente è "forte e indipendente" e sa maneggiare la spada e combattere, così le lettrici bramose del solito femminismo da quattro soldi possono tirare un sospiro di sollievo: non è una damigella in pericolo, possiede tutte le caratteristiche tipicamente attribuite al genere maschile e le sfoggia con intollerabile spocchia. Di conseguenza, è il personaggio meno femminista che si possa immaginare (quante volte ancora bisognerà ripetere che la forza e l'indipendenza non stanno nel mulinare le spade? Per tutte le carpe! Le carpe? Ma perché le carpe?, vi chiederete. Cosa c'entrano le carpe? Continuate a leggere e purtroppo per voi lo scoprirete). Sfortunatamente per lei, la nostra eroina spadamunita scopre, una volta arrivata nel palazzo reale, che il principe ereditario è scostante e disinteressato nei suoi confronti. Neppure i bicipiti più sodi e la mascella più squadrata dell'universo possono salvare la situazione. Lei invece, poverina, da brava aristocratica della Cina medievale, voleva un matrimonio d'amore. Capite la portata della tragedia?
Di conseguenza i suoi sogni sentimentali sono destinati a schiantarsi contro la superficie dura e fredda di... uno specchio. Infatti la coraggiosa Ying, ovvero l'eroina spadamunita, scopre che il suo riflesso è vivo, parla, si muove e pensa (più di quanto sia capace di pensare lei, questo è poco ma sicuro) ed è addirittura in grado di tirarla nel proprio mondo attraverso lo specchio: il mondo in cui vivono i riflessi delle persone reali e non fanno che imitarle dalla mattina alla sera. Ma perché? Come? Quando? Dove? Il senso di questa cosa è assolutamente nebuloso, ma andiamo avanti.
La nostra Ying dà subito prova di solidità di intelletto e si lascia fregare dal proprio riflesso in tre secondi netti: l'altra Ying, infatti, le racconta che è malata e sta per morire (ma quindi i riflessi delle persone si ammalano? Muoiono? Ma come? Quando? Dove? Perché?) e l'unico modo per curarsi è passare dall'altra parte (ovvero nel mondo reale) e prendere il sole.
Eh?
Indifesa davanti a cotanta astuzia, l'eroina tiracalci cede immediatamente e nel giro di due pagine ha già acconsentito a scambiarsi di posto con il proprio riflesso, che così potrà andare a curarsi facendo la tintarella. D'altro canto, perché non dovrebbe fidarsi all'istante e passare in un mondo misterioso e inquietante che non conosce minimamente e dove infatti rischierà di morire in modo atroce quasi subito? Dopotutto, il suo futuro marito non è gentile e lei vuole evadere dall'insoppportabile gabbia delle norme sociali, vuole essere libera e felice, non essere costretta a sposarsi. Già. Peccato che il mondo dei riflessi sia esattamente uguale al suo (se così non fosse come potrebbe rifletterlo? Eh, Ying?) e di conseguenza, mentre girovaga per il palazzo reale dell'altro universo, la nostra eroina inciampa nel principe dello specchio, ovvero il riflesso del suo futuro marito, che dovrà sposare anche qui. Dopo aver ammesso candidamente di non averci pensato (per tutte le carpe!!!), l'eroina tirapugni ha un attimo di panico, salvo poi scoprire che il principe dello specchio non è affatto antipatico come quell'altro: unisce infatti agli addominali scolpiti e alla mascella squadrata il carattere più dolce, affettuoso e romantico che si possa immaginare.
La nostra Ying ha gli occhi a cuoricino ed è finalmente felice e contenta, fino al momento in cui scopre che in realtà il mondo dei riflessi è malvagio e vuole invadere il mondo reale (quindi la faccenda del riflesso malato e della tintarella era tutta una baggianata? Chi lo avrebbe mai detto! Era così credibile!). Per quale motivo vogliono la guerra, esattamente? Ma cosa volete che ne sappia? Ying non si pone questa domanda, perché ha le carpe in testa al posto dei neuroni, quindi come potrei mai saperlo io?
Giunta a questo punto mi stavo già sbellicando dalle risate (ed è il motivo per cui non ho smesso di leggere, era troppo divertente), ma il meglio arriva dopo, quando i riflessi invadono il mondo attraversando gli specchi, quindi ci sono le persone reali mescolate ai propri riflessi che fingono di essere loro e la situazione diventa esattamente questa:
.

Adesso volete sapere come va a finire, immagino. Senza fare troppi spoiler, dico solo che Ying è una carpa (sul serio! Non sono ironica, giuro. È una carpa.) e che il Vero Amore risolve tutto.
Sipario.

[☾]

DNF at 15%. no further comments at this time.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I find The Girl With No Reflection to be a particularly difficult book to rate and review. On one hand, I did enjoy it and it had several intriguing things going for it. But it also had elements that held it back from being a particularly good story which I do believe it could have otherwise achieved based on the premise alone.

The Mirror World and general idea were unique and intriguing. I also enjoyed the writing, it was neither lyrical nor flowery but I found it crisp and to the point. This also added nicely to the eery undertone - it's probably a stretch to call this horror but there were definitely some unsettling elements and I appreciated the over all atmosphere. It's also great that this was a standalone of which I find there aren't enough around. The author also did well in wrapping this up as it didn't feel rushed or in need of a second book to make this a more rounded story. Another aspect I really enjoyed were the cultural elements included.

Ying is a little tricky as a main character - I want to say she was fine. She won't be ranking among my favourite main characters but I also don't believe she is as unlikeable a main character as I've seen in some other reviews. She is capable both in terms of navigating the new court life and some fighting skills. She also didn't have a bad head on her shoulders, although she did make impulsive decisions from time to time.

One of the biggest critiques I've seen raised for this particular book was the romance or rather how fast Ying falls in love. I can see where these complaints are coming from and, as a lover of slow burn romance, I also felt deprived in that department. That being said, I don't actually think this was poorly done. Ying is still a young girl who dreamed of being in love and having high expectations of her arranged marriage with Prince Zhang Lin. Once she gets to know her husband to be, she is disappointed given rejective and domineering nature of the prince. I don't find it at all farfetched that
it wouldn't take all that much for a girl in her position to then find solace in the Mirror Prince; he is the mirror image of the man she wanted to love but, unlike the real prince, treats her in a way that meets her expectations of love and care. From a reader's perspective, yes it feels things develop too fast and we're missing out, but I do also find it hard to blame Ying for it as, when I stop to think about it, I do see how this could have happened.

The main part that let me down was prophecy though. While I enjoyed the Mirror World and the general idea behind it, the prophecy around Ying and also in relation to the Mirror World felt underdeveloped. I don't think the prophecy was ever satisfactorily explained, especially in regards to what exactly The Fish is. I can let slide that Ying simply happens to be the chosen but I just couldn't quite wrap my head around what exactly this all entails and it unfortunately only became more convoluted as the story progressed. I actually feel as though I only have a vague notion of how things were solved in the end.

Despite all, I did enjoy this novel and do see myself reading it again in the future. I enjoyed the writing style and will definitely want to keep an eye on what the author writes in the future. I would still recommend giving this book a chance, especially if you enjoy Chinese inspired fantasy. I would just take it with a grain of salt that it's definitely not as great a book as it could have been, but I think the positives still merit giving it a fair chance.

[۰ ۪۫ Maja Haber ۪۫ ۰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

60% DNF

Ta książka jest zwyczajnie absurdalna. Mamy tutaj:

- główną bohaterkę o inteligencji ziemniaka. Tak, wiemy, że została wychowana w bogatej rodzinie, która ją rozpieszczała. Ta sama rodzina jednak uczyła ją sztuk walki i strzelania z łuku. Dlaczego zatem nie pokwapiła się nauczyć to biedne dziewczę myślenia? Gdy Ying staje przed dylematem wagonika, bez wahania jest gotowa poświęcić miliony ludzkich i niewinnych istnień, by ratować jedną, podkreślam jedną osobę. Jakkolwiek chwalebna jest jej lojalność, nie da się przemilczeć faktu, że nie podjęła nawet sekundy zastanowienia nad tym, jakie konsekwencje będzie mieć jej działanie. Ying po prostu nie myśli. Egoistycznie robi, co chce i kiedy chce.

- bezsensowne zwrotny fabularne. Ponieważ nasza bohaterka przegrywa na inteligencje z przedszkolakiem, autorka musiała dostosować fabułę tak, by wygodnie dawała Ying takie rozwiązania, jakich ta akurat potrzebuje. Nawet jeżeli ma być to z dupy wzięty smok, mieszkający w jeziorze na terenie pałacu.

- brak zasad uniwersum. Jako że wszystko dzieje pod bohaterkę, świat przedstawiony kwiczy i zdycha z braku konsekwencji. Autorka nie buduje ram świata, nie systematyzuje magii, nie wyjaśnia mitologii. Owszem, wiemy, że jest świat za lustrem i mieszające w nim odbicia. Znamy pobieżną historię tych dwóch światów, lecz to wszystko, co dostajemy na talerzu. Cała reszta ginie w oparach niewiedzy.

- scenografia to pusta makieta. Dawno nie czytałam historii, która byłaby tak wyludniona. Akcja rozgrywa się w pałacu, zarówno prawdziwym jak i lustrzanym, mogłoby się zatem wydawać, że otoczenie będzie tętnić życiem. Służba, dworzanie, ministrowie, nie mówiąc o rodzinie Cesarskiej - wszyscy powinni kręcić się gdzieś wokoło. Niestety możemy jedynie o tym pomarzyć. Bohaterowie poboczni - owszem, są - ale wychodzą z próżni, gdy są potrzebni i znikają, gdy stają się zbędni. Nie mają osobowości, nie wypełniają tła. W efekcie na planie "książkowym" panuje głucha cisza i martwota. O ile w świecie lustra to by pasowało, o tyle w świecie rzeczywistym to lenistwo autorki i brak wyobraźni jak budować "dźwięczne" otoczenie.

- absolutnie koszmarny wątek miłosny. Mamy tutaj coś na kształt niefortunnego trójkąta miłosnego. Ying zupełnie nie przeszkadza, że zna typa niecałe parę godzin, że zamieniła z nim dwa zdania, jest gotowa się z nim całować, a nawet pójść to łóżka, wierząc głęboko, że to miłość jej życia. Potem miota się między jednym księciem a drugim, głupia i dziecinna jak to ma w zwyczaju. Nie sądziłam, że można zrobić ze swojej bohaterki tak zatrważającą idiotkę.

- dziecinny styl pisania. Dialogi są denne i puste. Bohaterowie wyrażają się, jakby byli małymi dziećmi, zaczynającymi pierwszy dzień w przedszkolu, a nie dorosłymi ludźmi, jak mniemam wykształconymi i przygotowanymi do życia w polityce.

To wszystko sprawiło, że nie miałam ochoty kończyć książki, nawet jeżeli zabrnęłam tak daleko, za co i tak należy mi się medal, moi drodzy.

Czułam, jakby mój intelekt dostał po nerkach.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a chance at reading this book prior to publication.

I love my Chinese fantasy. I do! Who would have thought I would be addicted to the world of CDramas and books with gods and goddesses?
This book sounded so interesting and different that it was part of my 'must read' books of 2024.

After finishing it. I'm giving it a kind three stars where if anything it's firm in the 2.5 out of 5 camp.

The problems mainly had to be with the 'tone' and the characters/romance.

Here we have a fantasy kingdom that seems to be rooted in Chinese mythology and folklore. So you would think that the characters act very reserved, follow customs and or attitudes of those from the various dynasties (since this is a fantasy, there can be leniency). There is a very modern tone to this which clashes with the time period. There is the use of 'fuck' 'shit' 'damn' being thrown about, there is dialogue which would make more sense hearing in today's society than in this feudal kingdom. It honestly threw me off. ...

... which then bleeds over into the romance. The romance, which I could *understand* where the writer was going with it, I walked away with thinking that this prince (both of them, though there is one good one in the end) are jack-holes. The author gives a reason for the prince being how he is, but with his writing, his 'failed' attempts at wooing her, his conflict? It did not match what the author wanted us to believe of the prince in the end after we find out what's up with him an why he is acting how he is. He frankly comes away rude, brash, juvenile, and I did not want her to end up with him.

The main thing I walked away enjoying was the story, the mirror world, and the little (though there) court intrigue. It was just sad that the lackuster romance and modern tone / dialogue killed any sort of real enjoyment from this book.

[Beka]

Just bought the gorgeous hardcover of this because I’m WEAK OKAY?! Excited to dive in as part of my Spooky Reads Marathon!